To stress some points made above, realize that a diverse portfolio and investment strategy will eat into gains as often as it staves off losses. The only way to make big profits most of the time is to make risky moves. If you go all in on a single coin at a given price and it goes up, that is a payday. If it goes down, your investable funds are locked into that crypto (unless you want to sell at a loss). Diverse strategies protect against this, but they will also eat into your potential gains (as it is rare for everything to go up or down at once). Know what you are looking for and know how to weight your portfolio to reflect that.

So far, everything we’ve discussed has involved taking a long position on a coin. That is, our focus has been buying a coin at a lower price than what we think we will be able to sell it at later. What if we have some indication that leads us to believe that the value of a coin is about to decrease? In this case, we could take a short position, which is the same technique that made some people boatloads of money during the 2008-2009 housing bubble.
I bought Elastic $XEL at the obscure Heat exchange. It was rather difficult discovering how to buy it because I was in this case ahead of the herd where the path was not well defined. In the end I bought it at a high price (average 31,367 Satoshis, should have got them at 25,000 Sats) as I got scammed over at Heat by a predator (Arsonic @Ars0nic on Twitter) playing the order book. We’ll see how that plays out. I think the excessive price I paid will not matter too much.
We will see Lightning Network dramatically increase adoption in 2018. That being said, it’s really hard to predict development cycles and we could see Lightning Network growing slowly this year and only hit its stride in 2019/2020. I predict currency coins that do not adopt Lightning Network will lose market share to Bitcoin. BCH, Dash, Pivx appear particularly vulnerable.
The motivation for the investors is that the token will be traded from day one on the exchanges and would yield a nice profit to the ICO participants. In recent years, there have been many successful ICOs, both the project itself and especially in measuring the yield for investors. Coins doubled, or tripled, their value and much more in relation to their value on the crowd sale. Augur’s preliminary crowd-sale (we reported on it previously here) yielded investors a phenomenal 1,000% for their investment. Okay, but what’s the catch here? Not all the projects benefit their investors. Many ICOs proved to be complete scams, not only were they not being traded at all but some projects disappeared with the money and we have not heard from them right up to this day.

The crypto world is a uniquely perfect environment for arbitrage. As William Belk argues here, the combination of it’s distributed nature, regulation, security, availability, and anonymity factors means that the marketplace has many inefficiencies, and that “arbitrage opportunities will continue indefinitely.” For example, some markets pay a premium for security, geographical location, or simply because they don’t know they can get it cheaper somewhere else. In some cases, the price discrepancies across different exchanges can be as much as 43%.

NOTE: Once you have Coinbase down, try moving onto GDAX. It’s, in overly simple terms, like a better version of Coinbase with lower fees. Coinbase operates both platforms, and both use the same logins. GDAX is the preferred exchange of many Bitcoin traders in the U.S. It caters to both pros and novices. After you master that, then consider exchanges like Bittrex and Binance.

The cryptocurrency trading platform you sign up for will be where you spend a considerable amount of time each day, so look for one that suits your trading style and needs. Exchanges like Coinbase offer in-depth platforms, such as their Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX). It’s always worth setting up a demo account first to make sure the exchange has the technical tools and resources you need.

So-called “hot wallets” make accessing your crypto easy – allowing you to transfer funds and complete trades quickly and with ease. Many providers now offer mobile apps so this can be done on the move. Meanwhile, “cold wallets” are stored offline – commonly on USB sticks – with some people even writing down their private keys on paper. The latter can work well if you’re looking to save crypto for a rainy day.

ACTION: Go out and find a few other people that trade, find people you trust. Start a group chat on Facebook messenger — or on whatever platform you prefer. Each of you should research 2–3 credible sources to begin following and then delegate the sources equally. Each day your team should study their respective sources and relay only the necessary information to the group, focus only on information that is crucial for advising trading decisions.

Before I start describing the main features of this trading platform, I would like to familiarize you with the company itself. Bitstamp is one of the oldest cryptocurrency marketplaces in the world. The company began its activity in 2011 in the UK. However, later they have opened other offices in Luxemburg and New York. Crypto exchange Bitstamp received its license in Luxemburg.

The reader is likely the sort of person that reads up on investing but most people who enter markets do so without reading a book. They invest like the old pilots of early flight. They just get in the plane and take off and then figure out what to do next. That is not often going to end well. The legions of crypto traders and investors are simply not doing their homework in the same way as dotcom investors hadn’t got a clue about the technology they were investing in or about the market itself they were putting so much of their wealth into.
The victims of the dotcom crash would talk about “the smart money,” this group doing that to another group to make money out of them. Narrative is a weak basis for investing. In crypto-times, people talk about whales as if there is a secret level to the game and secret methods available to those who are big enough to trade in great size, where they can’t lose, but you can. The whales won’t let the market do this, or do that, just in the same way as the smart money was dreamt to operate.
Once you have narrowed down on cryptos with high daily trading volumes, focus on their historical price movements. The best way to do this is to use a financial ratio known as the Sharpe ratio. Don’t worry about calculating it, since you can easily find it online. The Sharpe ratio measures the potential return of an asset based on its volatility. Figures higher than 1 are usually a sign of an asset with high potential returns. Given that cryptos had a stellar year in 2017, most of them have a Sharpe ratio of higher than 1. Therefore, for you to make use of this ratio, narrow down on cryptos that have the highest Sharpe ratio relative to the rest of the market to Profitable Cryptocurrency Trading

Arbitrage trading can be described as the simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset in order to profit from discrepancies in its price. In other words, arbitrage traders will purchase an asset in one market, and then sell that same asset at a higher price in another market. In the context of the cryptocurrency market, arbitrage trading might resemble something like this:

Blockfolio also provides complex and powerful analytical and charting tools that make the tracking price trends of the currencies you’re investing in seamless and practical. The app can also be programmed to gather together the latest news stories from your favorite cryptocurrency news websites and sources and present them in a comprehensive array.
!function(e){function n(t){if(r[t])return r[t].exports;var i=r[t]={i:t,l:!1,exports:{}};return e[t].call(i.exports,i,i.exports,n),i.l=!0,i.exports}var t=window.webpackJsonp;window.webpackJsonp=function(n,r,o){for(var s,a,u=0,l=[];u1)for(var t=1;tf)return!1;if(h>c)return!1;var e=window.require.hasModule("shared/browser")&&window.require("shared/browser");return!e||!e.opera}function a(){var e=o(d);d=[],0!==e.length&&l("/ajax/log_errors_3RD_PARTY_POST",{errors:JSON.stringify(e)})}var u=t("./third_party/tracekit.js"),l=t("./shared/basicrpc.js").rpc;u.remoteFetching=!1,u.collectWindowErrors=!0,u.report.subscribe(r);var c=10,f=window.Q&&window.Q.errorSamplingRate||1,d=[],h=0,p=i(a,1e3),m=window.console&&!(window.NODE_JS&&window.UNIT_TEST);n.report=function(e){try{m&&console.error(e.stack||e),u.report(e)}catch(e){}};var w=function(e,n,t){r({name:n,message:t,source:e,stack:u.computeStackTrace.ofCaller().stack||[]}),m&&console.error(t)};n.logJsError=w.bind(null,"js"),n.logMobileJsError=w.bind(null,"mobile_js")},"./shared/globals.js":function(e,n,t){var r=t("./shared/links.js");(window.Q=window.Q||{}).openUrl=function(e,n){var t=e.href;return r.linkClicked(t,n),window.open(t).opener=null,!1}},"./shared/links.js":function(e,n){var t=[];n.onLinkClick=function(e){t.push(e)},n.linkClicked=function(e,n){for(var r=0;r>>0;if("function"!=typeof e)throw new TypeError;for(arguments.length>1&&(t=n),r=0;r>>0,r=arguments.length>=2?arguments[1]:void 0,i=0;i>>0;if(0===i)return-1;var o=+n||0;if(Math.abs(o)===Infinity&&(o=0),o>=i)return-1;for(t=Math.max(o>=0?o:i-Math.abs(o),0);t>>0;if("function"!=typeof e)throw new TypeError(e+" is not a function");for(arguments.length>1&&(t=n),r=0;r>>0;if("function"!=typeof e)throw new TypeError(e+" is not a function");for(arguments.length>1&&(t=n),r=new Array(s),i=0;i>>0;if("function"!=typeof e)throw new TypeError;for(var r=[],i=arguments.length>=2?arguments[1]:void 0,o=0;o>>0,i=0;if(2==arguments.length)n=arguments[1];else{for(;i=r)throw new TypeError("Reduce of empty array with no initial value");n=t[i++]}for(;i>>0;if(0===i)return-1;for(n=i-1,arguments.length>1&&(n=Number(arguments[1]),n!=n?n=0:0!==n&&n!=1/0&&n!=-1/0&&(n=(n>0||-1)*Math.floor(Math.abs(n)))),t=n>=0?Math.min(n,i-1):i-Math.abs(n);t>=0;t--)if(t in r&&r[t]===e)return t;return-1};t(Array.prototype,"lastIndexOf",c)}if(!Array.prototype.includes){var f=function(e){"use strict";if(null==this)throw new TypeError("Array.prototype.includes called on null or undefined");var n=Object(this),t=parseInt(n.length,10)||0;if(0===t)return!1;var r,i=parseInt(arguments[1],10)||0;i>=0?r=i:(r=t+i)<0&&(r=0);for(var o;rLet’s say on January 2, 2017, you owned $1,000 and exchanged it into euros (EUR) with another market trader at a rate of EUR€0.9565, leaving you with EUR€956.50. Then, on November 24, 2017, the value of the US dollar had fallen from EUR€0.9565 to EUR€0.8380, so you decide to exchange your euros back into US dollars. After finding someone willing to sell their US dollars for your euros, you carry out the exchange at the new price. Your EUR€956.50 is now worth $1,141.40, leaving you with a profit of a little more than 14%.

On cryptocurrency mining: As noted, one way to invest in cryptocurrency is via cryptocurrency mining. That is a valid way to start investing if say you love computer gaming and need a new rig and want to invest in small amounts of cryptocurrency while maybe making back some of the cost of the rig (and maybe even breaking even) but that is an entirely different subject. The average investor will want to trade USD for cryptocurrency on an exchange and avoid the complexities and investments of mining. In all cases, unless you already have a good rig with a great graphics card, you’ll need to put down USD upfront anyway.

Let’s say on your cryptocurrency chart at 250-minute candles, you see 25 candles where the price stays within a 100 point range. If the price contracted to a daily move of just 20 points, you’d be seriously interested and alert. You should see lots of overlap. This tells you there is a substantial chance the price is going to continue into the trend.
I have been using Coindex for a long time now and am constantly impressed by the time and care Josh and Cellaflora put into the project. There is an emphasis on perfection and testing the app's features before release and this has amounted to a polished and irreplaceable part of my iPhone. Coindex will always have a space on my dock and can't wait to see what they add next :)
Set limit orders for a few dollars under or over recent lows and highs. This can result in you buying or selling before BTC hits resistance. Sure, you can use crazy TA skills to find support and resistance levels, but you can also eye out levels by looking at a chart. 9 times out of 10 you’ll be able to eyeball a general support or resistance level and get close to the level a pro would have charted out (partly because the price has likely stalled on / bounced off those levels before; little parlor trick).
Congrats @nicolasvh and the team at Opus Labs - this has to be one of the top hunt's of the year IMHO. I'm heavy into crypto HODLing, trading and watching and have tried EVERY crypto tracker available for iOS. It's pretty simple; no trackers come close to Blockfolio, until now. Delta is the first app that has seriously challenged Blockfolio. Even if the team doesn't grow the feature set, it is hands-down better than Blockfolio, both in UI and functionality. Add that to the upcoming features that Nicolas mentions in the last paragraph of his intro and this app is OFF THE CHARTS!
There is also an Ethereum-based ETF pending regulatory review, and many such products are likely to follow. For now, there are just a few options available. For example, ticker symbol GBTC is one such security listed on the US-based OTC Markets Exchange, and is available at major online brokerages such as Fidelity, providing stock market investors a way to gain exposure to Bitcoin without buying the underlying or using a derivative.
In 2017 Crypto Markets Continue to Trend Higher with Momentum It is evident that cryptocurrencies have been in a trending market for the past two years, or some would argue, since their inception. Every $1000 invested into a basket of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin at the beginning of January 2017 would nicely turn into $18,000 in just 11 months; completely…
If you have an account on Poloniex.com or Bittrex.com (and other crypto exchange sites) you can use their API with TabTrader to easily trade and monitor prices on your phone. It's important to me that the app connects to Poloniex and Bittrex because these exchanges have good volume. And they're pretty credible. TabTrader supports other major exchanges too :)

Hey Will. Thanks for the helpful guide! I’ve just gotten into crypto and found this info extremely useful. Just a question regarding how you keep your alt coins safe. As far as I can tell, you can’t keep many of these alt coins on a Trezor hard wallet, so do you just use something like My Ether Wallet instead? Cheers mate! Here’s to a cracking 2018!!

PentaFund is an actively managed fund (as opposed to passive investment funds, such as the Vanguard 500 index) made up of cryptocurrencies, blockchain assets, and traditional assets. It applies modern portfolio management principles to the world of cryptocurrencies. Arbitrage, leverage, short selling, hedging strategies, derivatives, as well as technical, fundamental, algorithmic, and trend analyses are all used to take advantage of the growth and opportunities in the crypto space.
They’re committed to safe and secure trades, because at the end of the day, you’re trusting your money with them. They understand that, and they take that very seriously. Their system is 100% proprietary, has been stress tested and DDoS tested, and they have never lost a single coin. They also maintain a ledger themselves in the interest of ensuring that they know where every coin – whether Canadian or ethereum – is at all times.

There are many groups on Facebook where you can find likeminded folks who will happily talk crypto all day but the problem is that 99% of these groups are filled with people who have only a very basic understanding of cryptocurrency and the knowledge available here is not particularly strong. I have recently left almost every single group on Facebook as, in my opinion, they are largely filled with FUD.

If you are doing any active trading, set stop losses. For any coins not in your medium or long-term holds, always set stop losses. This is important for several reasons — the most obvious is mitigating your losses. But more importantly, you force yourself to decide on a point of acceptable loss, and because you now have a reference point, you are able to measure your effectiveness to keep or adjust for future trades. Sometimes, during a market dip, altcoins can plummet, and stop losses can lead to profitability by automatically selling for fiat that you can use to re-enter at lower prices.